


I Belong with You

by ObliqueOptimism



Series: Prepare for Boarding [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dave is an Accountant, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Miscommunication, Relapsing, Sober Klaus Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 07:13:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21424273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Klaus and Dave are friends with benefits, until one day Klaus realizes he fell in love with Dave.He does not handle it well.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Prepare for Boarding [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563505
Comments: 26
Kudos: 330





	I Belong with You

**Author's Note:**

> so i wrote most of this today and idk how good it is. remus loves it but, as my appointed cheerleader, they are biased. (love you tho bumblebae)

There were a few facts to consider. Klaus had been sober one month when he met Dave. A week into their friendship they added benefits. He’d only been sober a month, no way was he prepared for a real relationship, not that Dave would have wanted one with him. Klaus was aware as to what he was like, what he deserved. He did not deserve Dave. They had been having friend sex for four months. Klaus in the meantime had fallen in love with Dave, even though he knew Dave didn’t feel the same way back. He needed to be numb, so that he could forget how much his heart hurt at the one sided adoration.

And the most important fact was that daddy had five fully stocked bars, seven drinking cabinets, and two wine cellars.

These were the facts that led to Klaus being drunk at 3:47 pm on a Tuesday. 

_It had been going so well_.

But they’d had lunch. It wasn’t unusual for the friends to go out for lunch. It had even been fairly normal until the moment came when Klaus had a thought. Dave had flattened out the straw wrapper while Klaus had rolled his up and then he offered Klaus the pickle spear because he knew Klaus loved pickles. When he said that, “After all, you love pickles,” as he handed it over it was then that Klaus thought: that’s not all I love.

He maybe swallowed his soda wrong when he thought that.

_He’d ruined it._ Like he knew he would. 

He had to go and _fall in love_ with his friend. Romantically. Not just platonic, not just like, wanting to bone down. But he suddenly wanted to go on real candle night dates and take Dave’s truck and go out of the city and lay in the bed of the truck with blankets and watch the stars, and go fucking grocery shopping, and order two different sandwiches but split them so they each have half of one, and leave little post it notes with his thoughts in Dave’s lunch as he packed it before Dave went to his stupid accounting job where he wore that stupid and sexy tie.

So after lunch Klaus wanted -- no, _needed_ to be numb. 

He was in love with his best friend and while they were having sex, it wasn’t the same. He’d had sex with _a lot_ of people. He knew what it was like. It was just fun. It never meant anything. Sex was just a transaction. He and Dave, sometimes got bored or horny so sex happened. Wasn’t the first friend he’d had benefits with and as much as he wanted it to be the last, it probably wouldn’t.

He’d made it messy.

As soon as Dave realized Klaus had _feelings_ for him he’d put a stop to it. He wouldn’t want to get mixed up more than he already was with someone like _Klaus_. 

So it was time to be numb.

But there were no drugs stashed anywhere in the mansion, that had all been cleaned out five months ago. But the alcohol? That had stayed. It wasn’t really his thing, not usually. _Not solely_. He never turned down a drink but since he first had the pain medicine from when he broke his jaw it wasn’t enough (beforehand, it was enough, the burn of hard liquor felt so good). 

No, it wasn't enough.

But it was a start. 

And before he could _finish_ Ben appeared in front of him, frowning down as Klaus leaned and tilted against the sofa, bottle clutched in his hand. 

God Dave really wouldn’t want him now.

Mumbling a hello, Klaus rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, leaving mascara and eyeliner to smear and stick. He blinked slowly at his hand, now with a black spot. Pirate folklore spoke of a blackspot on your hand. How it meant the end. God, if that didn’t describe his relationship with Dave.

Ben, one by one, pried Klaus’s fingers off the neck of the bottle. Klaus didn’t put up much of a fight. For one, he wasn’t sure if he could grip it well enough. For two, he had another bottle on the other side of him. “Okay, let’s hand that over,” Ben said, taking the bottle. And then after Klaus grabbed the second, “That one too.”

His tone was too gentle for someone who just fell off the wagon after five months of sobriety. Hadn’t even relapsed once! He’d been very proud of that fact. 

But oh.

_Too late._

Klaus leaned against his brother, “I fucked up.”

“Uh-huh,” Ben agreed, patting Klaus’s back. “I know you did buddy. You take anything?”

“Not yet.”

“Got anything on you?” Ben rephrased the question.  
“Not yet.”

“I thought things were going well,” Ben finished patting him on the back and wrapped his arms around Klaus.

It felt nice. Too nice. He was drunk. He didn’t deserve Ben hugs, “That’s the problem.” 

“That things were going too well?” Ben pulled him closer, as if an octopus.

“Yes. I don’t-- Ben,” Klaus clutched his brother like he had the bottle, trying to convey his thoughts. His siblings, Ben especially, knew what Klaus was like. How he was selfish and stupid and Ben knew all the things he did for drugs over the decade or so he was an addict. He’d spilled all his secrets to Ben, the one sibling who while giving tough love like all the others, hadn’t ever given up, unlike the rest. 

Ben had been there for him.

Before he broke down crying, Klaus started pushing Ben away, “It’s Tuesday. You should be working? Doing more than babying me. Sorry. I’m not-- I’ll be fine. ‘M already fine.”

“Uh-huh,” Ben did not sound convinced.

“My chest hurts,” Klaus muttered into Ben’s chest.

“LIke a physical pain?” Ben sounded worried. “Or--?”

“Or.”

“Ah,” Ben’s fingers started tapping a rhythm on his arm. 

“It aches, _here_,” Klaus touched his chest. 

Ben checked once more, “Not physical?” Klaus shook his head, “I’m sorry, Klaus.”

They sat for a bit, Klaus only trying once to get to a bottle before Ben spoke up, “So why the emotional pain? No more secrets, remember? 

Klaus frowned. He’d spilled his secrets, promised not to keep more, and had been pretty honest with Ben since then. When he needed help to stay clean, to not harm himself, to stay safe and sane, he could go to Ben. Ben knew the darkest parts of him and still cared for him.

Probably didn’t love him, but did hold some brotherly affection for him. Which was more than Klaus could ask for. .

“No more secrets,” Klaus mumbled back. With a sigh he hid his face against Ben, “I’m in love with Dave.”

“That’s good?” Ben sounded hesitant, “Aren’t you two dating?”

“No, friends with bennies, Benny. And now I fucked it up and fell in love with him,” Klaus sighed when Ben wrapped an arm tight around him.

“I see.” They were quiet for a moment before Ben continued, “I think Dave likes you back, Klaus. I’ve seen how he looks at you. I bet if you face your emotions and talk, I bet you two would become boyfriends.”

Klaus let out a noise of protest, “I don’t know. I mean, Ben, look at me. At realizing I love him I get drunk? So stupid. And he’s like, _so smart._ He knows better than to date me. He’s an accountant, Ben. No accountants ever date junkies. He’ll see how hopeless I am and then I won’t even have him as a friend, because he’ll leave me.”

“No, that’s not how it will play out,” Ben argued. “You’ll tell him you love him, you’ll ask to be boyfriends, he’ll be over the moon, and then you both are dating. The world is not as shitty as you think it is. _You are not as shitty as you think you are._”

Klaus snorted, “I’m pretty shitty.”

“Yeah, but not as much as you think,” Ben soothed. “Just think about it? Sober up and think about doing the right thing, okay?”

“M’kay.”

The next day Klaus was sitting on his bed, having recently got his hangover under control. He used to never get hangovers. But then he never sobered up either. Hard to have a hangover when you never let it happen.

Ben had stayed with him that night, made sure he didn’t drink anymore and listened as Klaus rambled about Dave’s eyes and smile and kind heart and frowned when Klaus spouted on about how he wasn’t worth Dave. How much better Dave was and once Dave realized--

Ben told him to get over himself. He’s not too good Dave’s affections. Which was the point Klaus had been trying to make but Ben made it clear it wasn’t taking any of Klaus’s shit. “Call him tomorrow.”

But before Klaus could work up the courage to call Dave, his phone went off.

_Hot Accountant:_ Hey, I hope you’re okay. You seemed a little off yesterday. Did the food not agree with you? Should we cancel our plans tonight?

Klaus dropped his phone like it had burnt him. It was starting. Dave noticed he was in love and offered to cancel their plans. Dave wanted an out, an excuse. Didn’t want to see Klaus anymore.

He knew it. He shouldn’t have thought Ben was right. Ben was often right about things, but not this. 

_Klaus:_ yeah, stomach still upset. :(

_Hot Accountant:_ Poor baby. Well feel better, okay! We will hang out later. 

He would work up the courage to tell him tomorrow, maybe. Sighing, he got up and paced his room. It wasn’t a complete lie, his stomach felt off but that was from the hangover. And from the idea that he should do the adult thing and tell Dave how he felt and be ready to have his heart broken. 

He’d never been in love before.

It was scary.

He’d also realized he’d been in love with Dave for a while now, only just now aware of it. Made it harder to deny how he actually felt. Should he continue to deny? It would probably be very difficult to deal with his emotions whenever he saw Dave and that would, obviously, make sobriety difficult. However the thought of cutting ties with Dave hurt even more. His sobriety would be a thing of the past.

Music. 

Music would help him. Klaus nodded as he went to put a CD in his old player. He hadn’t used it in years. He hadn’t made it a habit of hiding out in his room, he’d done that enough when he was younger and it really made him want drugs whenever he did.

The problem was, he’d forgotten he’d stashed some pills in his CD player. But there they were. Three little pills in a small baggie. Wherever did dealers get those anyway?

He reached in to throw them out. Get them away. It was bad enough that he had drank the night before, he didn’t need to add drugs to his problems.

_Alas_.

...

Five was going to ask Klaus for a favor. However, as he opened the door to his brother’s room he knew he wouldn’t be getting any help.

His other siblings had shielded Five as best they could whenever Klaus was high, but he still knew the signs. While he was shielded he had still seen how Klaus was. It hadn't been unheard of Klaus, high as he often was at the time, to either be scrounging around the house for money or something to pawn. Whenever Five had found him, he’d lead him to the kitchen and made a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.

He wasn’t stupid. 

He knew his brother chose drugs over food. And Klaus always let Five dictate what he should do when they ran into each other. Five was certain it was because Klaus didn’t want to push Five away like he had the others, that he cherished the moments they had together. Five had seen Klaus tell the others off for trying to get him to eat or drink some water, but he always let Five take care of him. 

Eventually Ben would always find them, scold Klaus and whisk him away from Five. “For Five’s safety.”

Bullshit.

Either way, Five opened Klaus’s door and saw him high. 

Sighing, Five went down and made a sandwich, got a glass of water, and took them back up.

Five sat down next to Klaus and put half a sandwich in his hand. He smiled faintly at Klaus’s noise of surprise. “So, what happened?”

“Hm?” Klaus shoved most of the half in his mouth at once. 

“Well, I figured something made you relapse, do tell.”

Klaus’s shoulder’s slumped, “It’s stupid.”

“Of course it is,” Five agreed. “And don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Klaus leaned in closer to Five, draping himself over his shoulders like a cat, “Then don’t ask questions while I eat.”

Five handed him the other half of the sandwich, “Fine. I’ll wait. You just eat and think about what you did.”

“The drugs?” Klaus’s brows knitted together.

“No, talking with your mouth full of peanut butter, idiot.” 

Klaus smiled at him. Patting him on the head he maybe got some peanut butter in Five’s hair. Five was the epitome of patience, but he did love his brother, even when he relapsed. “Now drink.”

“Vodka?”

“Water,” Five pressed the glass in his hands. “All of it.”

“Okay, okay.” Klaus did as he was told. “Thanks.”

“So what happened?” Five said, letting Klaus feel the fabric of his shirt.

“I fell in love.”

“That is stupid,” Five agreed with Klaus’s earlier comment. 

“Yes, you get it.” Klaus put a cold hand on the back of Five’s neck and left it there. He probably was amazed at how warm Five’s skin was. 

“Tell me more,” Klaus always did as Five told him when he was high, so Five knew he’d get an answer.

This was how Five listened as Klaus told him about meeting Dave and their friendship and how special it made him feel. Look! He made a real friend! But he had fucked it up with _feelings_. Five had to steer the conversation some, Klaus getting off track or wanting to go into more sexual details than Five wanted. But he got the gist of it.

Klaus fell in love with Dave and Dave didn’t love him back.

This wasn’t going to stand.

Five would make sure Dave rued the day he broke his brother’s heart.

After Five made Klaus drink more water, he put him to bed and went to fix this.

“Diego!” Five called out, seeing the other in the living room. “I need to go somewhere. Drive me.” He booked no room for argument.

So of course there was no argument.

Five had found out which accounting firm Dave worked for, then after a quick search he got the address. It was time to fix this. No time like the present to make Dave pay.

“Are you starting your retirement fund?” Diego joked. Five gave Diego _a look_. “Sorry.”

Five gave the secretary a smile, “Hi, we’re looking for Dave Katz?” 

She gave him a gentle grin in return as well as directions to his office. 

Five didn’t knock, he just opened the door and let himself in. He had a mission. Dave had made Klaus think his world was ending and Five _was not having that_. Diego looked from Dave to Five in confusion. “Dave Katz?”

“Yes?” Dave said. “I don’t think I have an appointment, but if you have questions, I can make some time.”

“Five Hargreeves, my brother Diego,” Five gesutred to Diego as they both sat down. He noted the surprised but warm smile on Dave’s face. “You are the Dave who is friends with Klaus, yes?”

“This is about Klaus?” Diego asked at the same time Dave said, “Is he okay?”

“No, he is not okay,” Five’s tone was cold and he noted both men freeze up. “Because of how your relationship has gone, because you _broke his heart_, he relapsed today.”

“What?” Diego yelled, glaring at Dave. “What did he do?”

Five noted Diego’s hands turning into fists at his side. He also noted at pale Dave became.

“Because of me? _What did I do?_” Dave was gripping his chair tightly.

Five wasn’t great at emotions. He always was a step back from most of them, but the ones he knew about he knew very closely. He loved his siblings with a type of intensity he knew most didn’t have. He had trouble reading other people’s feelings. He often found himself hurting others without realizing and then needing to fix it. 

However, he knew in that moment that Dave was devastated. 

Interesting.

“Klaus is in love with you,” Five said. “And you don’t love him back.”

Dave’s eyebrows shot up, “Of course I love him back! He’s so-- _wonderful_. I’ve even told him! Why would he think I don’t love him back?”

“You’ve told him in bed? After or during sex?” Five leaned forward, “Yes? Are you _stupid?_”

“I don’t--”

“Let me set this up for you,” Five sighed, leaning back again. “You meet new sober Klaus, become friends. Then friends with benefits. You say I love you to him during sex, which since he was _my age_ has been a transation for him.”

“Friends with benefits?” Dave sounded heart broken, “He said that? Not boyfriends?”

Five frowned, “You both are idiots.” He turned to Diego who was silently fuming, “Don’t hit Dave. He is an imbecile but that is not his fault.”

“What--”

“Five,” Diego said darkly. “What is happening?”

“Klaus realized yesterday he loved Dave,” Five told Diego, ignoring Dave in the room. “He is under the impression they are friends who have sex from time to time,” Five continued to ignore Dave’s pained noise. “You know Klaus, Di. They started having sex _a month into his sobriety._”

“Oh,” Diego sighed, finally starting to unclench. “And Dave?”

“I honestly thought we were boyfriends?” Dave said quietly. 

“Yes, it seems so. Sorry for almost siccing Diego on you,” Five said. “But you need to fix this Dave. Not today. He’d apparently taking three _mystery fun pills_ earlier.”

“Because he thought I didn’t love him back,” Dave whispered.

“Yes,” Five agreed. “To be fair to you, you’d only met Klaus and you are not aware of how to deal with his-- _past_. But on the other hand you thought you were his boyfriend. You should have made that abundantly clear. Come by the house tomorrow and talk to him. The two of us will keep him sober and home.” He leaned forward again, “I would suggest taking the day off work to fix this. I expect you no later than 11 am.”

With that, Five stood up and gathered Diego with his eyes, “Good day, Mr. Katz.”

...

Dave should have known.

Never had Klaus asked to have him stay the night at the mansion, to meet the family. They had been dating for months, or so Dave had thought. He just thought it was something Klaus was worried about. The boyfriend meeting the family. He knew that up until recently, he hadn’t been close to them. 

It had made sense.

Only now Dave realized how stupid he had been.

How easily he saw their relationship from a new perspective. Klaus’s perspective.

The dates could easily be seen as friends hanging out, Dave’s whispered, ‘I love you’s just euphoria from sex, Dave never sitting Klaus down and using the words ‘boyfriend’, ‘dating’, ‘exclusive’.

Not that he thought Klaus was seeing someone else, but it was something he should have done. He knew enough about what Klaus went through to know how _stupid he had been._

Thank god a 13 year old figured it out so he could fix it before it got worse. 

And if after this, if Klaus didn’t want to actually date, well, Dave would be hurt but he would respect Klaus’s feelings. Which apparently he hadn’t been taking into account. 

_Klaus relapsed becauses of him._

Dave had been up all night thinking about it.

He’d made Klaus feel so worthless that he’d relapsed. 

The guilt ate at him. He’d been so proud of his <s>boy</s>friend. He still was, of course. But he’d been the cause of this. He could only be there for Klaus and help him through it. Fully support him.

Unless Klaus didn’t want him to.

He was greeted by Five.

“Good. It’s 9:53. He’s in the bath. He will probably be at least twenty more minutes. You have a two options,” Five lead the way into the house. “You can wait here in the sitting room where you can have a conversation with him later. He may see you and turn around. He is very good at running away from his problems.” It was clear to Dave that Five felt running away from your problems was stupid.

“Or?”

“Or you go and interrupt his bathroom experience and corner him while he’s in his bubble bath. Klaus has no shame so him being naked will not bother him. Plus, I assume, you’ve seen his dick. I very much doubt you always have sex in pitch black.” Five frowned, “You better not have been doing that, he is afraid of the dark.”

“I know,” Dave said. “I put up battery powered fairy lights in my room. So that when he stays the night he can always see and feel safe.”

This was apparently the right answer, “Good.”

“You don’t think he’ll feel a power imbalance if I talk to him while he’s relaxing in the bathtub?” Dave asked. Five seemed to know Klaus fairly well and Dave had already fucked the situation up enough on his own. Some advice would not go unwarranted.

Five smirked, “No. I believe all of us has cornered him in there for a serious conversation before.”

“Even you?” Dave had to remind himself that Five was 13. He sure didn’t act like it.

“Yes.”

“Let’s do that. Can you show me the way?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Five nodded and started walking away.

As Dave opened the door to the bathroom, he let out a sigh of relief. It was good to see Klaus no worse for wear. All he knew was he relapsed. For all Dave knew, he had to go out and buy the drugs and he knew that wasn’t always safe. He’d been worried Klaus had maybe gotten a black eye or something.

No, Klaus was laying in the tub, smoking a cigarette, and bobbing his head to music only he could hear. 

Dave sat down next to the tub, to be on Klaus’s level, and then quietly said his name.

Klaus’s eyes popped open. He looked panicked for a second before covering it up with a fake smile. He pulled his headphones off, “Davey!”

Dave smiled, “Hi, baby.” He noted the flicker of pain in Klaus’s eyes. “We need to have a conversation.”

“Oh, um, sure, let me--” he started to push himself up.

“I thought we were dating,” Dave blurted. Klaus froze and stared at him with wide eyes. Dave pushed him back into his relaxed position he’d been in, “I’m sorry, doll. I shouldn’t have assumed we were dating.”

“But we were just having sex?” Klaus sounded very confused.

Dave leaned his head against the side of the tub and looked at Klaus, “Poor communication on my part. I had thought all this time we were going on dates. I didn’t think we needed to talk about--”

“Sorry! It’s my fault!” Klaus bit his lip. “If you were friends with someone better than me you wouldn’t have to set them down and discuss this shit, right?” He let out a sharp laugh.

Dave frowned, “It’s as much my fault, Klaus. I’m sorry I didn’t think about you, baby.”

“But--”

“Listen, please?” Dave said. “Yesterday Five came to my work and helped me realize I’ve been a bad boyfriend--”

“Boyfriend!” Klaus squeaked.

“Yes. Klaus, I honestly thought we’ve been dating. As boyfriends. I’m so sorry I didn’t make it clear for you. And no, it is not your fault for not knowing. It’s my fault for not asking you out on a real date. It’s my fault for making you feel like you couldn’t talk to me about our relationship.”

“No, Davey, dear. I should have known better. You’re too nice to use me like that. I should have known you thought we were dating. It’s me, okay? It’s my fault.” Klaus leaned forward, tone pleading. 

Dave had been working on this with his <s>boy</s>friend. Making him see that not everything was his fault, he wasn’t to blame for everything. But since becoming sober he seemed to think a lot was his fault. While some of it was, Klaus tended to take more blame than he deserved.

Dave ran his hand through Klaus’s wet hair and pulled him close, “I love you, Klaus. Okay? I’ve spent this whole time thinking we’re dating. _I love you._ Let me fix this? Will you let me take you out on a proper date? We can go to some upscale place. Or I’ll pack a picnic and we’ll go to a park? Take my truck out of the city and watch the stars from the bed.”

Klaus let out a wet laugh, “God, how can you love me?”

“How can I not?” Dave whispered. “My question is how can you love me? I’m just a boring accountant who wears khakis. You? You’re so fucking special, baby. You make me so happy. I’d really love to actual date you. Where we both know we’re dating. I want to be introduced as your boyfriend. I want people to be jealous of our cute coupleness. Have old ladies scold us for our PDA and make Five regret fixing our relationship as he catches us making out on the kitchen table.”

“Fucking Five,” Klaus laughed. “He’ll secretly be glad. The little dictator will hold it over our heads that he made us talk like the adults he actually is.” 

Dave smiled, “So we’re going to date? Officially?”

“Oh, I guess,” Klaus said in a pseudo-nonchalance before grinning. 

Dave smiled back, “We’ll have to discuss this more, but we can do that later, okay, doll?” 

Klaus nodded and rolled his eyes, “Sure, sure. God, you call me ‘doll’ and ‘baby’ all the time. How did I not pick up on that?”

Dave chuckled, “You were blinded by love, babydoll.”

“Ooh, put them together, huh?” Klaus then smirked, “Davey, get undressed and join me. Room for two in here.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Dave put on a mock-serious face, “I don’t know, I think maybe we should take our relationship slowly. My last boyfriend and I moved so fast he didn’t even realize we were dating.”

Klaus responded by splashing water in his face.

Two days ago Dave had thought his relationship with Klaus was going well, but now he knew it hadn’t been. But now Dave knew it would start to go better. He could easily see the progression now that Klaus _knew_ they were dating. 

He’d support Klaus through his recent relapse, Klaus would support him when he stressed out over work. They’d be there for one another, through thick and thin. One day they’d move in together. Maybe get married, if that was something Klaus wanted. _They’d talk about it._

As Klaus reached out and pulled Dave into the tub while fully clothed Dave laughed into his boyfriend’s wet skin, wondering how he got so lucky.

Klaus then licked the side of Dave’s face, because he could, and giggled, “You taste like soap.”

“My shoes and socks are soaked now,” Dave commented back, wrapping his arms about his _boy_friend.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimsim @ tumblr i am very approachable feel free to come yell at me about anything tua related


End file.
